Virtual learning may help NICU nurses recognize baby pain
Date:
July 9, 2021
Source:
Hiroshima University
Summary:
Babies younger than four weeks old, called neonates, were once
thought not to perceive pain due to not-yet-fully-developed sensory
systems, but modern research says otherwise.
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Babies younger than four weeks old, called neonates, were once thought
not to perceive pain due to not-yet-fully-developed sensory systems, but
modern research says otherwise, according to researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan.
==========================================================================
Not only do babies experience pain, but the various levels can be
standardized to help nurses recognize and respond to the babies' cues --
if the nurses have the opportunity to learn the scoring tools and skills
needed to react appropriately. With tight schedules and limited in-person courses available, the researchers theorized, virtual e-learning may
be able to provide a path forward for nurses to independently pursue
training in this area.
To test this hypothesis, researchers conducted a pilot study of 115
nurses with varying levels of formal training and years of experience
in seven hospitals across Japan. They published their results on May 27
in Advances in Neonatal Care.
"Despite a growing body of knowledge and guidelines being published
in many countries about the preventions and management of pain in
neonates hospitalized in the NICU, neonatal pain remains unrecognized, undertreated, and generally challenging," said paper author Mio Ozawa, associate professor in the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health
Sciences at Hiroshima University.
The researchers developed a comprehensive multimedia virtual program on neonatal pain management, based on selected standardized pain scales,
for nursing staff to independently learn how to employ measurement
tools. The program, called e-Pain Management of Neonates, is the first
of its kind in Japan.
"The aim of the study was to verify the feasibility of the program
and whether e-learning actually improves nurses' knowledge and scoring
skills," said paper author Mio Ozawa, associate professor in the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Hiroshima University. "The
results of this study suggest that nurses could obtain knowledge and
skills about the measurement of neonatal pain through e-learning." The
full cohort took a pre-test at the start of the study, before embarking
on a self-paced, four-week e-learning program dedicated to learning standardized pain scales to measure discomfort in babies. However, only
52 nurses completed the post-test after four weeks. For those 52, scores increased across a range of years of experience and formal education.
Ozawa noted that the sample size is small but also said that the improved
test scores indicated the potential for e-learning.
"Future research will need to go beyond the individual level to
determine which benefits are produced in the management of neonatal
pain in hospitals where nurses learn neonatal pain management
through e-learning," Ozawa said. "This study demonstrates that
virtually delivered neonatal pain management program can be
useful for nurses' attainment of knowledge and skills for managing
neonatal pain, including an appropriate use of selected scoring tools." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Hiroshima_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Mio Ozawa, Kyoko Yokoo, Takahiro Sumiya, Reo Kawano. Effectiveness
of e-
Learning on Neonatal Nurses' Pain Knowledge and Pain Measurement
Skills.
Advances in Neonatal Care, 2021; Publish Ahead of Print DOI:
10.1097/ ANC.0000000000000894 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210709104238.htm
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